, 1887-12-03
CROOKED HARPER.
The Means He Took to Use the
Banks Funds.
Report of the Interstate Com
MERGE Commission.
Death Of Coroner McHatten
in Denver.
The Fidelity Bank swindle.

CINCINNATI, Dec. AT the opening
of the Harper trial, MIR. Schufield, OF the
First National bauk of New York, ex-
planned the account of his bank with the
Fidelity, stating that the Fidelity's gen
eral account showed a credit of $500, 900,
while their special accoun- showed a de
Rcit Of $500, 900. He said it was an agree
ment that the special account was not to
be drawn upon.
Bank Examiner Powell, who was the
governments agent in closing the doors
of the Fidel ty last June, told the story of
how he was begged by Harper to pass tie
examination, aud was her asked to tele
graph the comptroller of the currency for
authority to not make an examination
He then found the tell tale memorandum
checks as cash, represent ng 5000 600.
Briggs Swift, president, said he never
knew of them till then. Harper, when
asked for an explanation, walked II gay in
silence. Mr.. Powell said the dis, unit
clerk showed hat discounts TO the amount
OF SAP 0 were made between January
and June, but most OF them remained I'M
collected.
The defense her drew from witness a
statement that w. Ii. Chattield one of the
directors of the bank was the one in
whose name the discounts appeared as
late as j une 10.
". A. Lucius, general bookkeeper
testified to the letter of advice from a par
~ who had no funds in the bank. Har
per took that letter and draft and it APP
peared in Harper's account with his en-
~dorsement.
Paul d. Ashbrook, the individual DO ok
keeper Of the Fidelity bank, said Har-
per's account was frequently overlrawn
At n time in May it Was Overdrawn
$4,000. Witness read the fluctuations of
HarpCrs and other accounts in which he
was interested from January to June.
Nearly all were oyer1rawn at some time.
When Briggs Swift, president of the
late Fidelity bank, came to the stand, he
was asked # he knew his bank was en-
gagged in the wheat deal. II did not"
was his blunt answer.
He th,n went ON to say that he asked
Harper in January last if he was in tie
wheat deal, and Harper said he had not a
dollar in it. Later | sent him a letter
asking him the same question, and he
answered by letter saying that he had no
interest whatever in the matter. and if
any man said he had he was a liar. At
forwards | spoke to him about it, and he
always coutradicted the rumors that he
was in the zeal. When the public began
to suspect the Fidelity bank and | wanted
to restor confidence, | vent TO the bank
with Richard Smith, of the Gdrettc, who
had known me for years, and together
we catechizcd Harper on the subject.
We put him on the stand and he denied
it. Then Mr.. Smith. upon my assurance
and upon llarper's express statement,
wrote an editorial denying that the FL
deity bank was mixed up in the affair.
This was but a few days before the fail
ure.
During his examination Swift said that
VIII en- he was in the city. he spent two or
three hours each day at the bank, but he
was away from the city part of the sum
mer and winter, and that at these times
Harper attended to his duties. He had
never examined the books of the discount
bookkeeper, nor had he ever for the ben
eft of the bank examined things critically
to see how the business was being carried
on, although he had an opportunity to
examine into all things connected with
the bank.